Sound Opinions Show

ANNOUNCER COPY: Coming up… The changing role of music in the Golden Age of television, from Mad Men to The Voice.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

NEWS:

The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago just wrapped up. Although older artists like Paul McCartney and Metallica headlined, music festivals are increasingly geared toward Millennials and EDM. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot question whether rock festivals can be reinvented to better fit 21st-century audiences.

FEATURE:

Television is entering its Golden Age and music is playing a vital role. Jim and Greg first examine the shifting attitudes toward the use of rock songs in commercials. They speak with Gabe McDonough of MAS – Music and Strategy about how bands and corporations benefit from song licensing and whether it’s appropriate to use iconic songs by Iggy Pop, Nick Drake, and The Flaming Lips to sell product.

Jim and Greg then shift their focus to the use of music within television programming. TV critics Mo Ryan of Huffington Post and Matt Zoller Seitz of New York Magazine join them to discuss how producers are skillfully incorporating music into shows like Mad Men and The Americans. They also consider music competition reality shows like The Voice, music-themed dramas like Empire, and the enduring importance of music in late-night television.

DESERT ISLAND JUKEBOX:

Greg adds Neil Young’s 1989 performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World” on Saturday Night Live to the Desert Island Jukebox. The intense live performance marked a turning point in Young’s career.